CATSKILL, N.Y. -- Supervisor Joseph Leggio sees the town's main projects in 2013 as being in Palenville and Leeds.

Completing work in Palenville along the Kaaterskill Creek is expected to be done when the weather cooperates in the spring after more than a year of going back and forth with state officials over specifications following damage from Tropical Storm Irene.

"The Woodstock Avenue project right behind the firehouse got put on hold until May because of the spawning of the fish," Leggio said. "That should be good to go in the spring."

Board members earlier this year bonded $2.1 million to pay for about 20 repair projects following Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 but in November 2012 returned about $1.5 million to the bank to avoid paying interest while there was no work being done.

Advertisement

Work to establish a sewer district in Leeds is expected to accelerate in 2013 to avoid having property owners fined by the state Department of Environmental Conservation for sewage violations. While the problems date back to the 1940s, there is expected to be a fresh emphasis on the problem because the area is considered to have the potential for commercial growth.

"The one area that does have the water lines running right through it is the Leeds area and it's in need of sewers," Leggio said. "That is the one area where there is vacant land that can be economically developed in the town of Catskill that could have a substantial impact in the town of Catskill."

Delaware Engineering was hired in 2008 to conduct studies for the Leeds sewer project, which has a construction estimate of $8.69 million to the extend village system from Jefferson Heights.

Leggio said officials are working toward preparing a referendum in 2013 to establish a sewer district.

"I would love to see us have everything in order before the next year is out so that we can start construction," Leggio said.

Leggio said 2012 was marked by a surprising rejection by voters of having the town and village form a joint fire district. Town residents voted 117 to 77 against establishing a joint town-village fire district while village voters favored the plan, 121-111, but support of both municipalities was needed for the district to be established.

"Maybe we didn't sell it properly, I don't know," he said. "But here you actually have the town and village actually working on projects that are ... truly in the best interest of the taxpayers if you want growth and savings, and that went down."